Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 27 - Chapter 4.8

Intermezzo: The Youngest Rutim Daughter’s Determination

Thanks to the efforts of a great many people, Morun Rutim had been given permission to stay at the Dom settlement. That was precisely what she had desired, and it brought her great joy. However, now that her wish had been granted, she found herself feeling anxious and worried for all kinds of reasons.

Gazraan and my father said there was nothing to worry about...but there is.

The Rutim clan was trying to majorly alter the customs of the forest’s edge. They were talking about changing the laws regarding blood ties, which their people valued above all else, so of course she couldn’t help but feel apologetic about it all.

And all of this is happening because of something as trivial as my romantic feelings. I wonder how many people are utterly exasperated with me right now?

It had turned into such a big deal that everyone living at the forest’s edge knew about Morun Rutim’s feelings by this point. That alone was enough to make her feel like she might go up in flames from sheer embarrassment.

Morun Rutim had first laid eyes on Deek Dom nine months ago. Since their clans were located so far apart, they hadn’t really had many opportunities to meet, but when the leading clan heads had gone to the castle town to settle things with the wicked noble Cyclaeus, Deek Dom had stopped by the Ruu settlement on his way back home, having attended the meeting as a guard.

At first, she had just been drawn to Deek Dom’s striking physique and the unusual appearance of all the members of the Dom clan. He had been bulky in a way that was rare among the Ruu clans, and he had worn a giba skull atop his head. It hadn’t been enough to frighten her, exactly, but her initial impression of him hadn’t been overly positive either.

But all of that had changed when she had gotten a chance to see him up close while her father Dan Rutim had been chatting with him.

There had been a major confrontation with the nobles in the castle town that day, which had left many of the hunters quite worked up when they had returned to the settlement. Deek Dom alone had been different, standing among them like a massive rock, his black eyes blazing brightly.

Since Morun Rutim was rather small, there was about a head and a half of difference in height between her and the Dom hunter. She had therefore been able to see the ferocity in his gaze quite well, even with it hidden behind that giba skull, since she could look up at him from below.

There was an intensity about him that she only rarely saw among the clans under the Ruu. He was as solemn as if he were made of stone and never allowed his emotions to get the better of him. Despite possessing strength and drive on par with that of the leading clan head Donda Ruu, he hid it all behind self-restraint as firm as steel.

Was that stern nature what had drawn Morun Rutim to him? At first, even she hadn’t been able to properly grasp what she was feeling. But she had been unable to forget the fierce look in his eyes and his calm composure, which had caused her heart to beat faster.

With the end of hostilities between their tribe and that wicked noble, peace had returned at last to the forest’s edge, but at the same time, Morun Rutim had lost the opportunity to see Deek Dom again. But that only caused her yearning to grow even deeper, until she had eventually come to the realization that she was in love.

I really did impose on Ludo Ruu a lot back then.

At the time, Morun Rutim had only told the youngest Ruu son Ludo Ruu about how she felt. He was the same age as her, and they had gotten along well since they were young. Ludo Ruu wasn’t all that large of a guy, but he was an exceptionally skilled hunter, and when he smiled he was as cute as any woman. On top of that, he was incredibly earnest and frank, and valued personal feelings over the customs of the forest’s edge. That often led to him getting chewed out by his family, but Morun Rutim really liked Ludo Ruu and trusted him like a member of her own house. That was why she was able to tell him things she couldn’t say even to her father or brother.

After he had learned of Morun Rutim’s feelings, Ludo Ruu had headed to the Dom settlement the very next day. Apparently, he had come up with some sort of excuse to justify it, but he had really only wanted to see what sort of guy Deek Dom was. That was just how bold and audacious Ludo Ruu was.

“Well, as far as I can tell, Deek Dom seems like a great guy. He’s a bit hardheaded, but nothing outside of the norm for a member of the northern clans. You should figure out the rest yourself.”

When she had heard him say that, Morun Rutim had felt cripplingly embarrassed and troubled. But later on, those words had granted her a great deal of courage. And when the talks between the Dom and Rutim about exchanging members had started, she had volunteered without any hesitation.

After staying at the Dom settlement for a month, Morun Rutim had become certain of how she felt. She really had developed feelings for Deek Dom and was no longer able to pretend that she hadn’t.

It wasn’t solely his sternness that had attracted her to him, though. That was undoubtedly part of his charm, but if that had been all there was to him, Morun Rutim surely never would have fallen for the man. He had become the head of his clan at the young age of seventeen, and he had forced himself to take on the strict demeanor his new role demanded. However, doing so had been a struggle for him.

His passion burned brighter than anyone else’s, but rather than showing it openly to others like Morun Rutim’s father, he maintained a solemn, stonelike expression. He was every bit as tough as the leading clan head Donda Ruu but had lived only half as long. It seemed like his youth was a source of distress for him.

Even so, he firmly restrained himself in order to carry out his duty as a clan head, which was quite admirable. His determination really spoke to Morun Rutim.

Even more than that, though, Morun Rutim wanted to help comfort him. She wanted him to reveal the feelings he kept hidden inside to her and her alone. She wished to accept everything he felt and share in all of his joy and pain. Those feelings had grown quite strong in her.

But I just can’t take that final step...

Morun Rutim had spent the five months after that barely able to control her emotions. Despite how strongly she yearned for Deek Dom, she didn’t want to cause trouble for her precious family.

The Rutim fell under the Ruu, while the Dom were under the Zaza. Their parent clans were both leading clans of the forest’s edge, so there was no way the two of them could ever form blood ties. On top of that, her brother Gazraan Rutim had earned a lot of trust from the leading clan heads and would always join them whenever they went to meet with the nobles. She didn’t want to unnecessarily endanger the position he had gained.

Because of that, Morun Rutim had spent the last several months constantly suppressing her feelings for Deek Dom. But after she had seen Sufira Zaza’s bravery, her attempts to contain her emotions had completely stopped working.

After that, Morun Rutim had opened up to her family, which was what had brought them to the current state of affairs.

◇

After the meeting held at the Zaza house, her brother, father, and Donda Ruu all returned home the following morning.

After seeing them off, Morun Rutim was once again invited into the main Dom house. Gathered there were the clan head Deek Dom, his sister Lem Dom, and the heads of the Dom branch houses.

“Well then, shall we take turns having our guest Morun Rutim sleep at each of our houses?” one of the branch heads asked.

In a weighty tone, Deek Dom replied, “Yes. But the main house no longer has anyone to man the stove, so we have been borrowing the assistance of the branch houses to prepare dinner. Because of this, I would like to ask for our guest’s aid on that front.”

“So the guest will eat dinner at the main house, then move to our houses after?”

“Essentially. However, I’m concerned about whether that will leave enough time for her to form bonds with the men of the branch houses, so I’m thinking we should have her eat at your houses as well, depending on the day. There’s still a couple months left until the clan head meeting, and I would like all of our clan members to have a chance to fully assess Morun Rutim’s character before then.”

“As you wish. We will abide by your judgment and the judgment of the leading clan heads,” one of the branch heads replied. All of them had serious expressions on their faces, which hadn’t changed throughout the entire conversation.

The hunters of the north placed great value on the old customs. Normally, they would have flatly refused any proposal that would change their people’s customs when it came to blood ties. However, it was also an important custom at the forest’s edge to not oppose the decisions of the leading clan heads or the head of your own clan. No matter how disgruntled they were about the situation, they kept their feelings to themselves.

“You all look so dour. This will give the Dom women another chance to hone their cooking skills, so isn’t it a good thing?” Lem Dom cheerfully chimed in after remaining silent since the meeting had begun. “Morun Rutim’s supposed to be an especially good chef, even among the Ruu. You all saw that when she stayed here before, didn’t you? So why not forget about all that troublesome stuff and just be happy about this?”

“This isn’t a matter that we can take so lightly. It is imperative that we people of the forest’s edge reach a determination about what the proper path forward for us is,” another of the branch heads chimed in.

“Hmph,” Lem Dom snorted. “You’re talking about the whole thing about allowing marriages without involving all your relatives, aren’t you? Feel free to worry about all that as much as you please. But that’s a whole separate issue from inviting Morun Rutim to stay here as a guest.”

“How could we possibly treat that as a separate matter? Do you not get what’s going on at all?”

“I mean, whether or not Morun Rutim turns out to be a good bride for Deek, all that tricky stuff about marriage is still going to be discussed at the clan head meeting anyway. That clever Rutim clan head is insisting it’s what’s best for our people, after all,” Lem Dom said, flashing an arrogant grin at the men before continuing. “If she does prove to be a fitting partner for Deek but the new form of marriage isn’t accepted, there won’t be any wedding, simple as that. So it’s nothing to worry so much over. Why not just judge her like you would any other relative? Or are you saying I’m somehow mistaken?”

“No,” Deek Dom replied. “It’s as Lem says. The matter of Morun Rutim and the new form of marriage should be treated as separate. Confusing them for one another will make it difficult to judge either issue properly.”

“Yes, I suppose you’re right,” one of the branch heads admitted. Then they all glanced around at one another, looking rather troubled.

Lem Dom, on the other hand, was openly amused by their obvious concern as she rose and said, “Now then, we’re done discussing Morun Rutim, aren’t we? In that case, why don’t I take her to meet the other women?”

“Good idea. We’ll be talking for a while longer, discussing the merits of this new form of marriage,” Deek Dom replied, and so Lem Dom and Morun Rutim exited the house together.

“Ugh, what a hardheaded lot. They’re absolutely terrible at dealing with new ideas.”

“Ah, no, I’m truly sorry for causing such a commotion. And I know I’m adding to Deek Dom’s burdens by being here, what with how he has to manage all of the branch heads even though they’re older than him,” Morun Rutim replied, causing Lem Dom to lean in close to her with a grin.

“You really have fallen for Deek hard, haven’t you? Well, I guess you never would have opened up to your family about how you felt if you hadn’t.”

Morun Rutim was left at a loss for words as her face went red, causing Lem Dom’s grin to widen even further.

“Ever since you revealed how you felt, Deek hasn’t locked eyes with you even once. He’s seventeen now, but he’s seriously still such a child. You’re going to have a really hard time winning over an inexperienced guy like that.”

“Ah, no... Deek Dom is a truly wonderful person.”

“No matter how wonderful he may be, he’s still totally green about this stuff. I’m his little sister, so I know that better than anyone,” Lem Dom said. But then she suddenly looked around with a piercing gaze. “What do you two want? I’m not going to stand for you acting rudely toward our guest.”

“H-Hey, we would never do anything to disrespect a visitor...”

A large and small figure appeared from under the shadow of a tree. They were the former criminals from the Suun clan who had been entrusted to the Dom, none other than Diga and Doddo.

“You two are so persistent. I swear, you keep on asking about your former family day after day,” Lem Dom said.

“Th-That’s not true. Our blood ties have been cut with them...so we aren’t even allowed to ask about them directly...”

They were talking about Tsuvai and Oura, who had been taken in by the Rutim. Tsuvai was their half sister, while Oura was their stepmother.

“Tsuvai and Oura are doing very well,” Morun Rutim stated, causing a childish sparkle to appear in Diga’s and Doddo’s eyes. “Tsuvai’s an essential part of the workforce at the stalls now. And as for Oura, everyone in the Rutim clan thinks she’s very kind, and we all adore her.”

“I-I see. We’ve already heard a little about Tsuvai from Toor Deen, but we didn’t know how Oura was doing,” Diga said.

“Yeah. The Rutim and Deen clans are pretty far away from each other, but not as far as the Dom and Rutim,” Doddo added.

“Hmph. If you really have given up your blood ties, you shouldn’t be getting so happy about something like that,” Lem Dom muttered, causing the pair to shrink back.

Even if the two of them looked like a pair of fine hunters now, they still had some very childish traits. Even so, just like with Tsuvai, Oura, and Yamiru Lea, their past crimes no longer seemed to hang over them. That was the clearest evidence that they had been living proper lives here at the Dom settlement.

Morun Rutim felt glad to see that as she continued, “Still, if I am permitted to marry Deek Dom, well...that would restore your blood ties to Tsuvai and Oura. That’s quite a strange twist of fate, isn’t it?”

“You can say that again! We can hardly contain ourselves just from the thought of it!” Diga said.

“D-Does it seem like you’ll really be able to marry Deek Dom?” Doddo asked.

“I can’t say. But I want to give my all to make it a reality,” Morun Rutim replied while holding back her embarrassment, which made the pair even more excited.

Still staring at the two young men, Lem Dom shrugged. “You two are so childish. But if you’re satisfied with what you’ve heard, then hurry up and get lost. I’ve got to take Morun Rutim to see the women.”

“Huh? You’re going already? But we still have more we want to ask.”

“Morun Rutim will be staying at the Dom settlement at least until the day of the clan head meeting, so you’ll have plenty of chances to talk in the future. And if you don’t stop pestering us, I’ll tell the family heads.” With that harsh scolding from Lem Dom, Diga and Doddo stepped back dejectedly. And as Lem Dom watched the two crestfallen young men leave, she gave a strained chuckle. “You really are a kind one, showing pity even to guys like them. They did some pretty awful things to your friends Asuta and Ai Fa, you know.”

“But their crimes have been forgiven, and they’re living new lives under the Dom clan, aren’t they? That’s why I’m glad to see them doing well, just like Tsuvai and Oura.”

“You really are too kind... Anyway, the women are over this way. At this time of day, they should be working over by this kitchen.”

As Lem Dom had said, the Dom women were all gathered in front of the kitchen of a branch house. Since the Dom didn’t have a ton of members, they all worked together. The sun had only just come out, so they were chopping firewood and drying out pico leaves.

At the Dom settlement, even the women had impressive strength. Lem Dom was one thing, given her desire to become a hunter, but the rest of them were all pretty muscular as well and had the same uncompromising aura that the men did. Morun Rutim couldn’t help but stand up straighter when she saw them.

“You’ve already heard the gist of what was discussed last night from the heads of your houses, right? Morun Rutim will be staying here at least until the clan head meeting, so do your best to look after her, okay?”

“I-I look forward to working with you all,” Morun Rutim said with a bow.

In response, an especially burly older woman stepped forward. She was the wife of the head of a branch house and was in charge of managing the Dom women. “We’re looking forward to working together too. We heard you’ll be teaching us more about how to make delicious food. Is that true?”

“Y-Yes. I’ll teach you whatever you wish, as long as I’m capable of doing so.”

“I’m really glad to hear that,” the woman replied, smiling kindly.

The other women, meanwhile, all kept quietly watching Morun Rutim. The atmosphere actually felt surprisingly relaxed, though, which was a little perplexing to her.

“Well then, all of you, take good care of Morun Rutim, okay? I’m going to take a bit of a nap before I head out hunting.”

With that, Lem Dom swiftly turned around, only for Morun Rutim to hurry after her in a fluster.

“H-Hold on, Lem Dom! Are you sure everything that was discussed last night was properly explained to the members of the branch houses?”

“Huh? Why are you worried about something like that?”

“W-Well...if all they were told was that a woman from some other clan asked to marry the head of the main house... I mean, a lot of people wouldn’t be too happy to hear that.”

Lem Dom grinned, placing one hand on her own taut waist, then replied, “Ah, I see. You’re saying you can’t understand why the Dom clan is welcoming you with open arms, considering how hardheaded we’re supposed to be, right?”

“N-No, I didn’t mean that at all.”

“There’s no need to be so worried. It’s true that the Dom can be stubborn, but more than that, we like strong people, so they’re sure to treat you well.”

“S-Strong people? But I’m so little, I could never measure up to the members of the Dom clan.”

“It’s true that you’re small, but you’ve still inherited the wild strength of that noisy father of yours. And besides, that’s not what I meant. I was talking about the strength of your spirit. I mean, for most women, staying at the Dom settlement all on their own for three whole months would be unthinkable. That’s why everyone’s so impressed with your courage and indomitable will,” Lem Dom remarked with a wide smile. It was the sort of smile that reminded Morun Rutim of her precious childhood friend.

“I decided to become a hunter despite being a woman, so I think I have a pretty good idea of how much courage it takes to do what you’re doing. And, well...I’m already sure you’ll be a good match for Deek, so I’ll be praying for your wish to come true in order to secure a happy future for my precious big brother.”

And with that, Lem Dom departed.

Morun Rutim turned around and found that the women in front of the kitchen hadn’t moved and were watching her the same way they had been before. She took a big breath, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart, and started walking toward them.

There are three months left until the clan head meeting. I have no clue how it’s going to turn out, but I want to give this my all so that I won’t have any regrets.

And with that thought in mind, Morun Rutim began her life at the Dom settlement.

Would the proposed new form of marriage be accepted at the clan head meeting held in the blue month? Morun Rutim had no way of knowing, but the hope and joy she felt was more than enough to overcome her anxiety and worries.